[091] Planting Season 1
“You’re suggesting we hire Kang Mu-seong as our consultant?”
“Yes.”
Oh Se-hyeon’s furrowed brow said it all.
The position of a corporate consultant had long since become a mere formality, but it wasn’t a place for a former CEO who had committed fraud.
“He’s agreed to return all his shares, so the consultant’s salary is all Kang can hope for. We’ll have to pay him quite a bit, though.”
“Are you sure he’s accepted those terms?”
“His entire family is facing jail time, and they’re about to lose all their stock money as fines. He figured it’s better to share the spoils than let it all go to the state.”
“How much are you planning to give him?”
“Kang wants 30% of the stock value, spread over ten years.”
At the mention of 30%, Oh Se-hyeon’s face relaxed. He must have expected at least half.
“Well, that’s not too bad… but he’ll be earning more than the president of Dae-ah Construction.”
“At first, yes.”
“At first?”
“Yes. We’ll pay him as promised for a couple of months, then drastically cut it.”
Oh Se-hyeon’s brow furrowed again.
“What are you plotting now?”
“He should experience the misery of not getting paid.”
Oh Se-hyeon threw his head back and burst into laughter.
“Ha! What a ruthless guy!”
He laughed until tears formed in his eyes, then sat up straight.
“So, you’ll pay him for a couple of months, then claim the company can’t afford it?”
“No, we’ll just delay the payments. We have to pay him according to the contract, but…”
“You don’t even know when you’ll pay him in full, do you?”
“The country is in a tough spot. Until Dae-ah Construction turns a profit, everyone has to tighten their belts. Heh.”
“Kang will be furious. It’s not that you won’t pay him, but that you can’t.”
“He should know. It’s the same excuse he used with Dae-ah Construction employees—promising to pay back wages when things got better.”
Oh Se-hyeon looked at me with a sly smile.
“Is this a strategy or revenge?”
“What?”
“Is it ‘You annoying guy, now it’s your turn,’ or is it a clever way to secure the shares?”
“Both, heh.”
“What if Kang sues?”
“It’ll just prolong his suffering. We’ll drag it out in court for years until he gives up. And he won’t get paid during the lawsuit.”
“He avoided jail, but now he faces a penniless retirement… I’ll enjoy watching him suffer.”
“Oh, by the way, uncle.”
“Yes, what is it?”
“There’s something you mustn’t forget when we cut his salary.”
“And what’s that?”
“Ask him to share the pain until the company stabilizes.”
“I won’t forget. Haha.”
We both laughed, feeling like we’d achieved a small victory for justice.
“Oh, and I’m thinking of taking a short trip to Israel.”
“What? Israel? Why there all of a sudden?”
Oh Se-hyeon’s eyes widened in surprise. Even I had to admit it was a random choice—Israel.
“I’m planning to attend a lecture. There’s a remarkable professor there.”
Oh Se-hyeon chuckled in disbelief.
“A lecture? You? You don’t even attend classes at the university next door.”
“This isn’t a law lecture. It’s a challenging science and engineering course for me.”
“You’re not going to learn something, are you…?”
“You have to plant seeds for the future in advance.”
“When do you think they’ll sprout?”
“Honestly, I’m worried I might have missed the planting season. So I can’t give you a definite answer.”
That was the truth.
I had jotted down notes from a special economic article, but there was no exact timing—just a vague reference to the late ’90s.
It’s something happening across the sea. If I’m late, it’ll just be a trip to Israel; if not, it’ll be a proper planting.
“Is-Israel?”
“Yes. Why so surprised? Do you not have a passport?”
Assistant Manager Kim Yoon-seok scratched his head, hesitating.
“Get your passport quickly and book the flights and hotel. We’ll be staying for about a week.”
“Yes, sir.”
Kim Yoon-seok, who was about to travel abroad for the first time, dashed out of my living room, only to return.
“Sir, what about the flight tickets…?”
“Assistant Manager Kim, why don’t you try first class this time?”
He practically flew out the door.
While students rushed back to school after the break, I flew to Israel.
The flight from Korea to Tel Aviv, Israel, took over 14 hours. Since the Middle East was considered dangerous, we had to take a detour, adding a few more hours.
“Sir, those flight attendants remember all the first-class passengers’ names.”
Assistant Manager Kim commented, glancing at the stewardess.
“The round trip to Israel takes about 24 hours. This seat costs over seven million won. If someone paid me that much in a day, I’d memorize their entire family tree.”
“Oh…”
“Enjoy the service they provide. It’s all on us. Order whatever you want and have a drink. It’s a long flight, so let’s have a drink and get some rest.”
After a few glasses of wine, Assistant Manager Kim spoke up.
“Sir, about Director Jin Young-jun.”
“Young-jun?”
“Yes, he’s been appointed as an executive at Sunyang Construction. He wanted to move to the electronics division, but Vice Chairman Jin Young-gi ignored him and sent him there.”
“With all the executives leaving Dae-ah Construction, there are plenty of vacancies. They could’ve made him a senior executive, but they were stingy.”
“I heard that while construction isn’t a bad position, it’s not exactly a sweet spot either. Is that true?”
“What do you think, Assistant Manager Kim? Which position do you think holds more power—an executive at Sunyang Electronics or a director at Sunyang Construction?”
“Well, I suppose the electronics executive position would be more prestigious, wouldn’t it?”
Assistant Manager Kim replied uncertainly.
It was time for a little lecture. People tend to slack off without a sense of urgency.
“What do you think are the qualifications for someone who drives, runs errands, and informs you of company changes?”
“Excuse me?”
“Anyone among the tens of thousands of Sunyang employees could do that.”
Assistant Manager Kim quietly set down his wine glass and straightened up from his relaxed posture. He realized he was being reprimanded. If he hadn’t, it would have been a serious issue.
“I told you, right? Team Leader Shin, Assistant Manager Kim, and I are in a transactional relationship. What do you think it takes to move beyond that to a relationship of trust?”
”…”
“Don’t just report on the situation. Analyze it. Why did this happen? What will change because of it? What do you think will happen next? I want to hear your thoughts.”
“Ah, yes.”
“When your judgments and thoughts are correct, and they accumulate, that’s when trust is built. You can always change business partners, but there’s no substitute for trust.”
“I’ll remember that.”
Seeing Assistant Manager Kim stiffen up made me chuckle.
“Hey, I’m not going to grade you, so relax. Haha.”
“No, it’s just that I haven’t shaken off my errand-boy mindset. Thank you for the advice, or rather, the warning.”
I hoped Assistant Manager Kim would stick to his words.
Many people make resolutions, but few turn them into action.
“Alright, let’s get some rest. We still have a long way to go.”
The plane cut through the night sky, heading west.
After 14 hours, we arrived at Ben Gurion International Airport, located 15 kilometers from Tel Aviv, Israel’s capital.
Assistant Manager Kim and I loaded our luggage onto a cart and exited the airport. Despite some hesitation, Kim managed to ask questions in English at the airport information desk. He also communicated our destination to the taxi driver without any issues. It seemed he hadn’t been slacking off entirely.
We arrived at the Sheraton Hotel on Hayarkon Street and settled into our room.
“Do you like the room?”
Assistant Manager Kim watched me for a reaction.
“Yes, it’s nice.”
I wasn’t just being polite.
The view of the Mediterranean Sea from the window was stunningly blue.
“Good work. Let’s call it a day and get some rest. My legs are stiff.”
It was already close to 10 PM local time. Thanks to the decent in-flight meal in first class, I wasn’t hungry.
“If you get hungry, feel free to order room service. Don’t hold back.”
“Yes, sir. Rest well.”
Left alone, I wondered if I would meet the person I came for and if we would shake hands with a smile. With those thoughts, I drifted off to sleep.
Assistant Manager Kim seemed a bit excited as he enjoyed the hotel’s breakfast.
It was understandable, given it was his first morning in a foreign land.
“Assistant Manager Kim, feel free to explore while I finish my work here. You can even hire a guide for sightseeing.”
“Oh, I couldn’t possibly do that. I’ll stay by your side, sir.”
“No, there’s really nothing for you to do. I’m just visiting a university. Look at my outfit. Don’t I look like a student?”
A hoodie, jeans, and a backpack.
I looked every bit the student.
“Are you sure it’s okay?”
“It’s fine. Let’s have some free time until tomorrow morning. Haha.”
After breakfast, I headed straight to the Hebrew University of Jerusalem.
This is Israel’s oldest university, having produced four prime ministers and eight Nobel laureates, making it a world-renowned institution.
Known for its outstanding research achievements, the Hebrew University has over 7,000 patents registered at its technology center. It’s also famously known that Einstein significantly contributed to its founding.
The first place I visited was this very technology center.
I approached the information desk, feeling a bit awkward about the question I had to ask.
“Excuse me.”
“Good morning.”
The receptionist greeted me with a bright smile, which helped ease my nerves a little.
“I’m looking for a professor, but I don’t know his name. He did some research at MIT…”
The woman at the desk chuckled softly.
“There are over a hundred professors with research experience from MIT.”
Great, I just gave her a reason to boast about their prestigious university.
“Well, he’s made significant contributions in the fields of artificial intelligence and cognitive science. Can you help me find him?”
“Please hold on a moment.”
As she glanced at her monitor, another detail popped into my mind.
“The professor I’m looking for is in his late thirties.”
She gave me a quick look before turning back to the screen, scribbling something on a notepad.
“This might be the person you’re looking for. He’s in a lecture right now. Here’s the lecture hall, and this is his office.”
“Thank you.”
I nodded slightly to the receptionist and stepped outside.
The name was neatly printed in capital letters on the note. It seemed vaguely familiar, but I wasn’t entirely sure. If this wasn’t the right person, I’d have to search through the entire faculty of Israel’s tech universities. I hoped it wouldn’t come to that as I murmured the name to myself.
“Amnon Shashua.”
I followed the directions to the lecture hall.
Quietly, I opened the back door and peeked inside. No one turned to look; the students were engrossed in the lecture, and the professor was busy writing equations on the chalkboard.
I slipped into a seat in the corner of the room.
Science and engineering have always been a challenge for me.
I couldn’t make sense of a single equation on the board. All I could do was quietly observe Professor Amnon Shashua.